This was posted to another rootsweb forum ...................... Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 20:06:32 -0600 From: Fberisky@aol.com Source: KYWOLFE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [KYWOLFE-L] cherokee I've done quite a bit of research for my Cherokee ancestors, too. Let me tell you, it's VERY difficult if your ancestor was born & died before the US government started keeping a record of them (late 1800's). There are several places where the Cherokee were listed. You can go to the website http://www.rootsweb.com/~cherokee/index.html and find a lot of information there. The various enrollment rolls, like the Guion-Miller Roll, and the Dawes Roll are a good place to research, plus the book Cherokee By Blood lists names of proven Cherokee. You can look up names on these rolls in the searchable online database found in the National Archives and Records Administration website at http://www.archives.gov/research_room/arc/index.html. Just remember, there was a time when being Native American was not cool. They didn't want to be known as Native Americans. Some states even allowed them to be called White for the census if they married a white person. Some census takers also listed them as Mulatto, even when they were pure Native American. As for Wolfe County Cherokee, if you have a connection to Mary Ross, who married Valentine (Volentine) Brown, you have Cherokee blood. Mary Ross was a sister of Cherokee Chief John Ross. They were 1/8th Cherokee. Chester Rose, a native Wolfe Countian, has been accepted into the The Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah OK based on his descendancy to Mary Ross via her son James N. Brown (1811-1923) who married Mary J. Rose (1837-1920). LOTS of their descendants lived in Wolfe County. I have a Jean Spencer who married Vernon Rose in my database. Vernon Rose was a descendant of Mary Ross. Also, if you have a connection to Elizabeth Cloud (1812-1880) who married Newton Jett (1809-1874), you have Cherokee blood. The Jett family documented Elizabeth was pure blood Cherokee. I found where her son, Hercanus Jett, was listed in Cherokee by Blood, but his last name was misspelled. It was listed as Jeter. Many Bolling/Bowling descendants can trace their heritage back to Pocahontas. This would include some Eversoles and Gays. Happy Hunting! Gail (Rose) Berish In a message dated 4/27/2005 6:04:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, jholweger@hotmail.com writes: This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mBB.2ACE/2397 Message Board Post: I am looking for my Cherokee ancesters. On my grandfather's paternal side I feel fairly confident that my 5 gg was a Cherokee woman named Nakitie (Hannah). We also, I believe, have Cherokee ancesters on the Spencer side. Can anyone tell me how is the best way to find them?